


Sugar Softness

by storiesofdistantstars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: (well almost), Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff, Gen, Ice Cream, Parent-Child Relationship, i guess this is phoenix and ashes centric now, i meant to focus more on the rest of the squad but oh well, just because phoenix hasn't admitted it doesn't make it not true, sibling relationships, space ice cream anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesofdistantstars/pseuds/storiesofdistantstars
Summary: Ashes convinces Carud Squad to try something new.
Relationships: Original Clone Trooper Character(s) & Original Clone Trooper Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Sugar Softness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CmonCmon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CmonCmon/gifts).



> This fic was created because Cmon wanted clones trying ice cream for the first time. Somehow it just turned into Phoenix being fond?

“What is it?”

Ashes peered at the stand in front of them curiously. Phoenix paused, taking in the photographs of… food, presumably, but not like any food he’d ever seen. Round scoops of something fluffy, in square-patterned cones or blue-and-white paper cups.

“I don’t know,” Phoenix admitted, looking at the bins in the cart, each filled with a different color of… substance. He took a quick moment to make sure the rest of Carud Squad was close by and hadn’t wandered away to go make mischief, then looked back to see the stand’s owner grinning at Ashes.

“It’s ice cream,” the woman said. “You’ve never had any?”

Phoenix almost hesitated at that, but her face was open and sincere, without any hint of judgement. He shook his head.

“It’s a dessert,” she explained, smiling warmly at Ashes, who was staring at the ice cream with unabashed curiosity. “It’s sweet and cold, made from bantha milk, and it comes in lots of flavors. Would you like some?”

Ashes turned to him, and his face was pleading. It made him look even younger than normal, and Phoenix sighed.

“How much does it cost?”

“Nothing, for you,” the shopkeeper said, waving a hand dismissively. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Thank you,” Ashes said, smiling a little shyly. The rest of Carud Squad moved closer, looking at the ice cream with varying levels of curiosity and trepidation.

“Food, boss?” Joey asked, quirking an eyebrow. Phoenix nodded.

“What’s that one?” Ashes asked, pointing to a bin that was filled with dark brown ice cream swirled with white and paler brown and speckled with brown chunks. Chocolate, maybe?

For a moment, Phoenix couldn’t help but stare. Ashes was laughing with the shopkeeper, smile bright, looking so _young._

He’d looked young when he came to them, too, not even big enough to fill his shell, uncertain and scared and painfully conscious of the shoes he was trying to fill, Dala’s loss still raw for all of them. But now…

Phoenix hadn’t been able to bear leaving the kid alone, so small and insecure, and now… now he was _happy._ Laughing, accepting the spoon that the shopkeeper handed him without hesitation, without wondering whether or not he was allowed to.

Phoenix couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, fond and proud.

Marev drifted to stand at his shoulder and bumped his elbow softly, quirking an eyebrow at Phoenix. He didn’t need words, or the glance that his unofficial SiC cast towards Ashes, to know what he was thinking.

“Oh, shut up,” Phoenix said, watching as Ashes tilted the spoon he’d been given, inspecting it carefully.

“Udesii, buir,” Marev said with an audible grin, knocking Phoenix’s shoulder with his own. Phoenix pushed back a little harder.

His friend left off the teasing with a smile, crossing his arms. “He’s a good kid,” he said.

“He is.”

Ashes tasted the ice cream with only faint hesitation, and his eyes went wide, eyebrows shooting up, and he said through the spoon, “It’s _good!”_

The shopkeeper laughed, low and warm, as Ashes turned to the rest of the squad, nearly bouncing in his excitement. “You _have_ to try some, come on, Tooka don’t look at me like that it’s _really good.”_

Tooka rolled his eyes, but even he wasn’t immune to the kid’s enthusiasm, and he allowed himself to be pulled forwards. He accepted the offered ice cream with only faint grumpiness and popped it in his mouth. Phoenix could see him fighting to keep a straight face.

“Well?” Ashes asked.

“It’s nice,” Tooka admitted, and Ashes _beamed._

“I knew you’d like it,” he crowed, and soon enough the rest of them were being dragged forwards to try it.

Phoenix accepted the spoon he was offered and tasted the ice cream.

He could identify it now as chocolate, familiar from the times that his troopers had managed to get some into the barracks. It was smooth, cold, and Phoenix savored it for a moment. There was a bit of something sticky and fluffy and sweet, and a bit of solid chocolate, too.

“Do you like it?” Ashes asked, watching Phoenix’s face carefully.

“I do,” he said, and let Ashes duck under his arm, pressing himself into Phoenix’s side.

He ruffled the kid’s hair, watching as the rest of his squad tried the ice cream, none of them able to help smiling.

They were _happy,_ really, genuinely happy, he realized with some shock. Even if it didn’t last, even though this was just a brief respite from battle, Ashes’ enthusiasm was infectious, and everything felt a little lighter, somehow.

Phoenix pulled Ashes close enough that he could tap his forehead on the crown of his vod’ika’s head. “Glad we’ve got you, Ash’ika,” he said, and couldn’t keep the fondness from his voice.

Ashes, predictably, blushed. “I didn’t do anything.”

Phoenix huffed a soft laugh. “Still glad.”

“Oh,” Ashes said. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around Phoenix’s waist. “I’m- I’m glad I’m here, with all of you. Really glad.”

Phoenix nestled his chin on top of the kid’s head, watching as the rest of the Caruds laughed. Happy. They were happy.

They were all happy.

Maybe for now, that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a translations:  
> udesii: relax, calm down, take it easy  
> buir: parent  
> vod'ika: younger sibling, little sibling  
> -ika: diminuitive- when added to a name, very familiar and affectionate
> 
> Comments appreciated! Come say hi on my tumblr @storiesofdistantstars!


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